anatess
Well-known member
- Jul 26, 2011
- 1,758
- 398
- Country
- US
- Bulldog(s) Names
- Bullie (RIP) & Angus (RIP)
Hi.
We just adopted an English Bulldog 2 days ago. She's turning 3 in August. Her name is Bella Rose. Yeah, I cringed when I learned her name. I don't like Twilight! And she responds to Bella and not Rose.
I don't know much about EB except for the stuff I read in the books in the library and off the internet. My husband fell in love with the dog when we found out her momma's MS got so bad that she can't take care of Bella anymore. I sure didn't expect her to be so... heavy! She's like a sack of cement.
So, in all my research, I can't get good info on the proper muscle tone for an EB. I'm looking at Bella and she looks to me like she might be obese. She has a pig-like physique with barely a waistline. And I can grab a fistful of skin and lift it up! And I can't tell if her wrinkles are just that or if they're fat rolls. My husband says that's how they're supposed to look like. But, I can't stop wondering because she is also VERY lazy. For example, Gizmo, my 18lb bichon frise dog, would be standing in the middle of the kitchen and Bella would walk by and instead of swerving to avoid Gizmo, she would just bowl him over - walking right over him! And I have a bruise on my foot from when Bella stepped on it when I asked her to come - she came to me alright but didn't stop in time (she's still getting used to the wood floors as opposed to the carpet so she skids) so she ended up with her paw on my foot, looked up at me and sat down. Trying to get her to get off my foot was like pushing an F-150. I don't know, maybe she's too fat? Or is that normal?
She's the sweetest dog. And interestingly, she holds Gizmo as higher up on the pack even when he's 1/3 her size. She rolled on her side with her neck exposed when Gizmo got tired of her bowling him over. She's very smart and is fairly good with commands, but yes, she is stubborn. When she decides she's had enough, she flops on her belly and there's nothing you can do to get her to move.
I'm learning to control the slobber and I'm learning to clean the skin folds. She's very good with the nail file. She just flops on her belly and lets you work on her nails to your heart's content. She's not good with the leash though (she wasn't walked much before because of her momma's illness - she ran leash-free in the fenced yard for exercise). She pulls - and man, there's nothing I can do to pull her back so my husband is trying to do the leash training. We can't do much with that because it's been too hot outside.
I have to say, it took a little getting used to - from a bichon frise to an english bulldog. But, the pack is falling into place. I'm in love!
We just adopted an English Bulldog 2 days ago. She's turning 3 in August. Her name is Bella Rose. Yeah, I cringed when I learned her name. I don't like Twilight! And she responds to Bella and not Rose.
I don't know much about EB except for the stuff I read in the books in the library and off the internet. My husband fell in love with the dog when we found out her momma's MS got so bad that she can't take care of Bella anymore. I sure didn't expect her to be so... heavy! She's like a sack of cement.
So, in all my research, I can't get good info on the proper muscle tone for an EB. I'm looking at Bella and she looks to me like she might be obese. She has a pig-like physique with barely a waistline. And I can grab a fistful of skin and lift it up! And I can't tell if her wrinkles are just that or if they're fat rolls. My husband says that's how they're supposed to look like. But, I can't stop wondering because she is also VERY lazy. For example, Gizmo, my 18lb bichon frise dog, would be standing in the middle of the kitchen and Bella would walk by and instead of swerving to avoid Gizmo, she would just bowl him over - walking right over him! And I have a bruise on my foot from when Bella stepped on it when I asked her to come - she came to me alright but didn't stop in time (she's still getting used to the wood floors as opposed to the carpet so she skids) so she ended up with her paw on my foot, looked up at me and sat down. Trying to get her to get off my foot was like pushing an F-150. I don't know, maybe she's too fat? Or is that normal?
She's the sweetest dog. And interestingly, she holds Gizmo as higher up on the pack even when he's 1/3 her size. She rolled on her side with her neck exposed when Gizmo got tired of her bowling him over. She's very smart and is fairly good with commands, but yes, she is stubborn. When she decides she's had enough, she flops on her belly and there's nothing you can do to get her to move.
I'm learning to control the slobber and I'm learning to clean the skin folds. She's very good with the nail file. She just flops on her belly and lets you work on her nails to your heart's content. She's not good with the leash though (she wasn't walked much before because of her momma's illness - she ran leash-free in the fenced yard for exercise). She pulls - and man, there's nothing I can do to pull her back so my husband is trying to do the leash training. We can't do much with that because it's been too hot outside.
I have to say, it took a little getting used to - from a bichon frise to an english bulldog. But, the pack is falling into place. I'm in love!
Every bully here thinks they're a lapdog so you may need to train Bella to not step over people or Gizmo as often as she does. I agree that her energy should increase once she gets more exercise and playtime. But be aware that sleeping for 18 hours of the day is also part of the bully package, especially at her age.
anatess...... We are glad you joined us to share your bullie adventures. This site is full of bully loving people working together to make the whole bully experience a great one. Thanx so much for the stories and pix and keep them coming. I dont think we can get enough bully stories here. Bella looks to be very healthy and a perfect weight. For 60 pounds she doesnt look fat at all... Again Welcome and glad you are here. 
